Caistor’s Will becomes a ‘Prince’ of business studies

A Caistor Grammar School sixth-former has all the tools he needs to earn top marks in his A-level exams next summer after successfully completing a nationally-recognised business course.

Will Chico (17) resisted the urge to put his study books away over the six-week break from school, choosing instead to enrol onto a three-day project management course in Leeds.

The teenager, known by his schoolmates for his active lifestyle that has seen him run eight marathons within the last three years, is thought to be the youngest person ever to pass the PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments) course in the UK.

Will said: “I ran in the Rome Marathon with my dad in April, but shortly afterwards, I broke my ankle playing football and then went down with glandular fever.

“This meant that I couldn’t do any sort of fitness exercises for four months, so I had a lot more time to do work that was more academic.

“My dad raised the idea of doing the PRINCE2 course with me and we both came to the conclusion that my summer would just be wasted in only recovering from injury and illness.”

The PRINCE2 course, established by the Government in 1989, is normally taken by business leaders and managers from industry who want to improve how they organise, plan and delegate projects where they work.

Will said: “I stayed in Leeds for three days to do the foundation course where I learned about what a project manager does within his or her role, delegation and control.

“It’s the most popular course in project management in the UK and it will give me a very steady grounding in how to carry out a project.

“I was probably the youngest person on the course by at least ten years and most of the other delegates definitely thought it was strange to see someone who hadn’t been sent by a company.”

Now the challenge for Will is to use the skills he learned to tackle his A-level studies with exams on the horizon next summer.

Will added: “In terms of revision and study techniques, I can apply it to my A-Levels.

Dan Chico, Will’s dad, said: “Caistor Grammar School has really embraced what Will is doing and they have put all of his achievements up on the noticeboard because it’s a school that’s known for its achievers.”